1. Playing both sides of an island

A lot of people use one side or the other, but put all four sides to use in your island so that you are maximizing the amount of use you can get out of this space that is already there.

You can use one half for an eating/drinking area, one side for food prep, and others for storage or more food prep. The point is to put every part of the island to use properly.

2. Try an open island cart

Image Source: Celia Reiss Interiors

If you don’t have an island, but you want to use space properly, consider a kitchen cart. These are usually on casters, so you’ll be able to move it around wherever it’s not in the way.

These come with work surfaces and either open or closed storage underneath them so it’s a great way to use space and allow for comfortable storage that goes wherever you want it to.

3. Work with light and dark

Image Source: Екатерина Титенко

Often you hear that you should pick a colour scheme in your kitchen, but it doesn’t mean that you necessarily need to go with a particular direction.

That is, for a small kitchen that you want to look larger, you can do so by using colour contrasting. Use lightly coloured walls with dark cabinets, or blend light and dark together in your accessories and backsplash. It adds depth and sophistication to the space that you’ve got available.

4. Consider counter depth upper-uppers

Image Source: Shape London

Upper and lower cupboards are great, but if you’re short on space, you can add them at eye level, too, similar to how a pantry would go.

This would make sure that you’ve got the extra space wherever you want or need it, and you won’t need to give anything up in order to actually get it for yourself. Just one or two will do the trick.

5. Embrace boxed-in uppers

Image Source: Ecovision Homes

Wherever there is space between cupboards, put together open shelving. This is exactly what it looks like, wooden boards that can be painted to match or allowed to contrast.

They stretch between any upper cupboard space that you have and you can use the shelving to hold more essentials.

This is great for those who want to break up a wall of cupboards, too. It gives the eye a break and offers some fun twists on storage.

6. Float some open shelves

Image Source: Astro Design Centre

Above your island you can add in some floating shelving that is perfect for pots, pans, or accessories you don’t use everyday.

They can be large, small, or in between and will give you some professional options for decor as well as the fact that you’ll be able to use it for storage. This is fun to customize to your own taste as well.

7. Float an island or peninsula countertop

Image Source: Juliet Murphy Photography

If you need counter space that is also work space, you can look at a floating countertop that will be mounted on a shelf and will nudge itself over to offer leg room underneath so that it is a smart use of space. This won’t stick out too far and will be the best of both worlds.

8. Say hello to high uppers

Juanca Lagares

For upper cabinets, try moving them up higher on the wall so that you’re able to enjoy a more open backsplash and work area without losing those upper cabinets.

This is great for those who are taller, too, as it won’t make a difference to reaching anything in those upper cabinets.

9. Get seats that tuck in

Image Source: Paglialonga Studio

Whether it’s benches, stools or even folding chairs, you’ll want to conserve your kitchen space for what’s important, so you need to tuck those chairs out of sight underneath the island or table so that you have clear space. This also helps keep your footprint to a minimum which is important for those tight spaces.

10. Open up a pass-through

Image Source: Elan Kitchens

A pass through in a kitchen lets light in and gives it the sense that it’s a part of a bigger room that is going to be comfortable to use.

This is fun, too, because you can even use it as a place to pass food through if you really want it to be an effective spot in your home. It’s a great way to bring in a lot of the more modern touches without getting too drastic in renovations, too.

11. Mirrored backsplashes

Image Source: Borella Art Design

Instead of a traditional backsplash, take a look at putting in mirrored tiles instead. This can make the room look huge, filled with light, and is a really fun twist to bring into a kitchen that will be surprisingly modern and easy to maintain.

This is simple to do and fun to make the space look better and bigger. If you don’t want a whole kitchen full, you can do it just around certain parts, and it’ll still welcome a fun and open kitchen.

12. Add interior cabinet organizers

Image Source: Studio Dearborn

From the shelves to the cupboards to the accessories that you are putting into them, keep your spot organized. You need to make sure that each drawer is making the most out of itself in terms of what you can fit in there.

An organized, clean kitchen will make the room seem a lot bigger than it is, so see this as a really good way to keep on top of everything.

13. Hit up hanging storage

Image Source: Maurizio Giovannoni Architetto

By hanging a bar with hooks, or just a series of hooks, you can keep your kitchen well decorated and focused on using every ounce of space for keeping this organized.

These are great option for the preferred utensils near the stove, for example. It’s fun and will match whatever you have going on for your colour scheme.

14. Undercabinet shelves

Image Source: NBB Design

You can find small floating shelves that will be installed under your upper cabinets that can offer great storage for spices or other small kitchen must-haves that are used regularly.

It can also be a great way to show off some gadgets and other odds and ends that make their way into your kitchen. It’s decor without losing any valuable space form your cupboards or traditional shelving.

15. Take on a tray

Space Exploration

The easiest option to make your kitchen look better organized is to storage, for example, coffee cans or spices or jars or a knife block (or all of it) on a cutting board or some other kind of slate so that it looks like it’s well organized, even though all you’ve done is throw in some contrast.

You can use existing cutting boards, or look at slates or trivets if you want to get something flashy and new.

16. Trade countertop space for storage

Image Source: Soria Nau Arquitectura

If you have a lot of counter space, you should look at taking away some of it to add in some extra cupboards. This will give you more storage and make the kitchen look bigger and better for everyday use.

Image Source: The Furniture Union

You’ll love the extra space and a bit of lost counter space won’t add up to much when you see what it gives you in return. Don’t take away too much space, though. There’s a goldilocks amount in there somewhere waiting for you.

17. Pack in a pullout chopping station

Mari Kushino Design

You can get pull-out options for extra counter space that will roll into the wall or a cupboard. It’s a good idea to consider it for all of the options that it’s going to give to you if you do decide to go with the above mentioned idea in particular. Extra space that folds into nothing is a fantastic must-have for all to try out.

18. Consider a central range and range hood

Image Source: Ason Entreprenad Bygg & Bad

Consider moving your stove and range hood to a island so that you can have an uninterrupted counter space that makes meal prep a little more streamlined.

You’ll find having a central range is going to be much more comfortable once you get used to it, too. That’s something to remember for long term enjoyment.

19. Swap in some secret floor-storage

Image Source: CLPM Limited

While this is seemingly a drastic approach, you can look at in-floor storage for additional needs. This is especially useful as a wine cellar or even a food cellar for dry goods. It can be fun and a really neat way to truly make the most out of your available storage space.